For the vinaigrette, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Measure out ½ cup for the chicken marinade and set aside. Refrigerate the remaining for the salad or the wrap the next day.

Place the chicken in a large plastic bag, and seal the bag, leaving a small opening. Use a rolling pin to pound the breast to a uniform thickness. Pour in the reserved balsamic vinaigrette, seal the bag and toss to fully coat the chicken. If time, let the chicken marinate in the fridge for up to 2 hours.

Grill the chicken until the juices run clear and it’s cooked in the middle, about 5 minutes per side. When it’s cool enough to handle, dice the chicken.

In a large bowl, add the salad greens, some of the remaining dressing, chicken, pecans, strawberries and green onions. Toss to combine. Top with the crumbled cheese. For the tortillas, place an equal amount of salad down the middle of each tortilla. Roll, and then slice in half.

Chicken and strawberries

08/20/15

A few weeks ago, I bought a bottle of balsamic vinegar to use in a tomato and mozzarella salad. The salad was delicious, but I didn’t use much of the balsamic vinegar. So this week, I went searching for a recipe that would use the rest of the balsamic vinegar and get it out of my pantry before I forgot it was there.

During my search, I decided to look up recipes from Ree Drummond, best known for her show on the Food Network, The Pioneer Woman. I’ve only seen the show a few times, but in the episodes I’ve watched, she’s created homemade and hearty meals in simple ways.

So when one of my co-workers filled a social media account over the weekend with pictures of her homemade Pioneer Woman meal, which was drool-worthy, I decided to search Drummond’s recipe archives for my next meal.

What I found was a plethora of frontier-style, big-family meals. Everything from steak on the grill to peanut butter pie looked delicious, and the recipes seemed simple and pantry-friendly. But I wasn’t looking to make a heavy meal; I just wanted a quick weeknight dinner.

Eventually I came across a recipe for a chicken and strawberry salad that Drummond turned into a wrap for all of us carb-lovers. I made the salad first on its own but made the wrap for lunch the next day, and it was divine.

The recipe is so simple, and takes so few ingredients. Plus, it enabled me to use some of the late summer strawberries I’ve been craving. But the best part of all: I found a use for my balsamic vinegar.

While you could use any balsamic vinaigrette you have, making your own from scratch doesn’t take much effort. A quick whisk of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and you’re good to go. I followed the recipe and marinated the chicken in the vinaigrette, but also set some aside to drizzle in the wraps the next day, which really kept the meal from tasting like leftovers.

The combination of balsamic vinaigrette and strawberries is pretty classic during the summer, and this recipe is no exception. Combined with fresh goat cheese (I prefer feta so I used a mixture of the two) and chopped pecans, this salad-turned-wrap has sweetness, saltiness and crunch.

Finely sliced green onion rounds out the recipe, and it adds a crisp, earthy freshness. Wrapped in large tortillas — I used flour ones this time, but spinach or whole wheat would be excellent — the leftover salad makes a perfect quick-fix lunch for the next day.